Dark chocolate, orange & ginger bara brith

Try a twist on bara brith – the classic Welsh teacake – made with chocolate, orange and ginger. It’s perfect for celebrating St David’s Day

  • Prep:10 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 15 mins
    plus overnight soaking and 3 hrs drying (optional)
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 341
  • fat 7g
  • saturates 4g
  • carbs 64g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 3g
  • protein 5g
  • salt 0.3g

Ingredients

  • 3 strong black teabags
  • 300g dried mixed fruit
  • butter, for the tin
  • 180g dark brown soft sugar
  • 4-5 balls of stem ginger, roughly chopped
  • 100g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 2 tsp marmalade
  • 2 drops of orange essence, or use 1 orange, zested
  • 1 medium egg, beaten
  • 230g self-raising flour
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of ground ginger
  • 50g dark chocolate
  • 2 oranges (optional)

Method

  1. Drop the teabags into a heatproof jug, pour over 350ml boiling water from the kettle and leave to brew for 5 mins. Tip the dried fruit into a large heatproof bowl and pour over the hot tea. Cover and soak overnight.

  2. Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Butter a 2lb loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Scatter the sugar over the soaked fruit and stir to dissolve. Add the ginger, chocolate, marmalade, orange essence, egg, flour, a pinch of salt and all the spices, then mix to a thick batter.

  3. Scrape into the tin and bake for 1 hr 15 mins. Leave in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

  4. To decorate, melt the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water. If you’re making the dried peel, peel the oranges and cut the peel into strips. Press dry with a kitchen towel, then scatter over a baking tray and bake at 90C or your oven’s lowest setting for 3 hrs, checking every 45 mins. Leave to cool. Drizzle the chocolate over the loaf and scatter with the peel.

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